Background & History
Robert C. Byrd was born in 1917 and grew
up during the Great Depression. He
graduated from high school as valedictorian
of his class. He was unable to afford
college tuition, so instead of attending
college he worked various blue collar jobs to
support himself. During World War II,
he worked as a welder building Liberty and
Victory ships. At the end of World War
II, Byrd was able to attend college taking
night classes. Byrd was elected to a
House Delegate position with the state of
West Virginia in 1946. Following two
terms as a delegate, Byrd went on the the
West Virginia Senate and next the U.S. House
of Representatives. In 1958, Byrd was
elected to the U. S. Senate, where he
continues to represent West Virginia.
He pursued his law degree, while serving West
Virginia and the United States governments,
taking night classes. After 10 years of
study he graduated cum laude from the
American University in Washington D.C., in
1963.
As a U.S. Senator, Byrd secured the creation
and continuation of the Robert C. Byrd
scholarship program. [34 CFR Part 654,
Subpart A, Section 654.1] This program is a
national plan to offer a $1,500.00
scholarship to students with excellent
academic skills in high school and who
demonstrate the possibility for continued
educational success in college. More
than 90,000 students have received this
honorary and competitive scholarship.
Other Links
Additional information is available at:
- U. S. Department of
Education (includes
legislation details)
- Senator Robert Byrd Home Page